Enclosed gutter clip and expandable bulb-holding clip

Abstract

A decorative removable lighting enclosed clip made for mounting a light to a support surface such as gutters, shingles or a building structure. The enclosed clip allows for an aesthetically pleasing display of lights with rapid and easy installation and removal of the lighting. This eliminates falling debris from broken clips or clips that fall off the lights during the removal process. A support tab is inserted between the side portions of the structure, at longitudinally spaced intervals along the strip, and are frictionally gripped and retained by the facing side portions of the gutter, shingle or structure. The clips have enclosed end portions which support the light elements of a decorative light string along structure. The enclosed clip is capable of mounting onto a wide variety of gutters, eaves and building structures. The spacing is adjustable and provides a plurality of discrete angular positions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A clip for holding a light bulb for display on a gutter, shingle, or other structure, the clip comprising:
 an elongated base having a first end and a second end;   a support arm having a first end and a second end spaced away from the first end of the support arm, the first end of the support arm being rigidly connected to the second end of the base;   a cantilever beam having a first end and a second end, the first end of the cantilever beam being rigidly connected to the support arm, the cantilever beam extending away from the support arm in a first direction to the second end of the cantilever beam, the second end of the cantilever beam being disposed over the base, the second end of the cantilever beam and the base cooperatively defining a gap therebetween that enables receiving an object thickness into the gap, the cantilever beam being elastically deformable to accommodate objects of different thicknesses being received into the gap; and   a bulb holder being rigidly attached to the support arm, the bulb holder defining a through-hole being configured to receive and hold a portion of a light bulb in the bulb holder, the bulb holder being attached to the support arm between the first end of the cantilever beam and the second end of the base wherein the bulb holder is attached to the support arm at an intermediate portion of the support arm spaced from both the first and second ends of the support arm, the support arm and the bulb holder sharing a common portion where the bulb holder is attached to the support arm;   the bulb holder comprising a pair of arcuate outer wall portions extending from respective opposite sides of the common portion of the bulb holder and the support arm; and   the bulb holder extending away from the support arm in a second direction substantially opposite to the first direction.   
     
     
         2 . The clip of  claim 1  wherein the bulb holder comprises a generally circular wall surrounding the through-hole of the bulb holder and the bulb holder further comprises a plurality of tabs circumferentially spaced along the wall and extending radially from the wall into the through-hole. 
     
     
         3 . The clip of  claim 2  wherein the bulb holder through-hole extends along an axis from a first side of the bulb holder to an opposite second side of the bulb holder, the tabs being flush with one of the sides of the bulb holder. 
     
     
         4 . The clip of  claim 1  formed as a one-piece injection-molded member. 
     
     
         5 . The clip of  claim 4  formed from a resin, synthetic resin, a resin material, or mixture of resins. 
     
     
         6 . The clip of  claim 1  wherein the base comprises a generally flat base portion extending from the support arm along the base axis and a generally flat tail portion extending from the base portion to the second end of the base, the tail portion extending away from the cantilever beam as the tail portion extends towards the second end of the base. 
     
     
         7 . The clip of  claim 1  wherein the support arm extends along a first axis from the first end to the second end of the support arm, and the bulb holder through-hole extends along a second axis that is substantially parallel to the first axis. 
     
     
         8 . The clip of  claim 1  comprising at least one gusset rigidly attached to the bulb holder and to the support arm. 
     
     
         9 . The clip of  claim 1  comprising at least one gusset rigidly attached to the base and to the support arm. 
     
     
         10 . The clip of  claim 1  wherein there is no neck connecting the bulb holder to the support arm. 
     
     
         11 . The clip of  claim 1  wherein the cantilever beam extends along an axis, the bulb holder not disposed on the axis. 
     
     
         12 . A clip for holding a light bulb for display on a gutter, shingle, or other structure, the clip comprising:
 an elongated base having a first end and a second end;   a support arm having a first end and a second end spaced away from the first end of the support arm, the first end of the support arm being rigidly connected to the second end of the base;   a cantilever beam having a first end and a second end, the first end of the cantilever beam being rigidly connected to the support arm, the cantilever beam extending away from the support arm in a first direction to the second end of the cantilever beam, the second end of the cantilever beam being disposed over the base, the second end of the cantilever beam and the base cooperatively defining a gap therebetween that enables receiving an object thickness into the gap, the cantilever beam being elastically deformable to accommodate objects of different thicknesses being received into the gap; and   a bulb holder being rigidly attached to the support arm, the bulb holder defining a through-hole being configured to receive and hold a portion of a light bulb in the bulb holder;   the bulb holder comprising a pair of arcuate outer wall portions extending from respective opposite sides of the support arm; and   the bulb holder extending away from the support arm in a second direction substantially opposite to the first direction.   
     
     
         13 . The clip of  claim 12  wherein the bulb holder comprises a generally circular wall surrounding the through-hole of the bulb holder and the bulb holder further comprises a plurality of tabs circumferentially spaced along the wall and extending radially from the wall into the through-hole. 
     
     
         14 . The clip of  claim 13  wherein the bulb holder through-hole extends along an axis from a first side of the bulb holder to an opposite second side of the bulb holder, the tabs being flush with one of the sides of the bulb holder. 
     
     
         15 . The clip of  claim 12  formed as a one-piece injection-molded member. 
     
     
         16 . The clip of  claim 15  formed from a resin, synthetic resin, a resin material, or mixture of resins. 
     
     
         17 . The clip of  claim 12  wherein the base comprises a generally flat base portion extending from the support arm along the base axis and a generally flat tail portion extending from the base portion to the second end of the base, the tail portion extending away from the cantilever beam as the tail portion extends towards the second end of the base. 
     
     
         18 . The clip of  claim 12  wherein the support arm extends along a first axis from the first end to the second end of the support arm, and the bulb holder through-hole extends along a second axis that is substantially parallel to the first axis. 
     
     
         19 . The clip of  claim 12  comprising at least one gusset rigidly attached to the bulb holder and to the support arm. 
     
     
         20 . The clip of  claim 12  comprising at least one gusset rigidly attached to the base and to the support arm. 
     
     
         21 . The clip of  claim 12  wherein there is no neck connecting the bulb holder to the support arm. 
     
     
         22 . The clip of  claim 12  wherein the cantilever beam extends along an axis, the bulb holder not disposed on the axis. 
     
     
         23 . The clip of  claim 12  wherein the bulb holder is attached to the support arm between the first end of the cantilever beam and the second end of the base. 
     
     
         24 . The clip of  claim 12  wherein the bulb holder is attached to the support arm at an intermediate portion of the support arm spaced from both the first and second ends of the support arm. 
     
     
         25 . A clip for holding a light bulb for display on a gutter, shingle, or other structure, the clip comprising:
 an elongated body having a first end and a second end;   a bracket or strut having a first end and a second end spaced away from the first end of the bracket or strut, the first end of the bracket or strut being rigidly connected to the second end of the elongated body;   a cantilever having a first end and a second end, the first end of the cantilever being rigidly connected to the bracket or strut, the cantilever extending away from the bracket or strut in a first direction to the second end of the cantilever, the second end of the cantilever being disposed over the elongated body, the second end of the cantilever and the elongated body cooperatively defining a distance therebetween that enables receiving an object thickness into the distance, the clip configured to elastically deform to accommodate a gutter, eave, or structure being received into the distance; and   a bulb holder being rigidly attached to the bracket or strut, the bulb holder defining a hole being configured to receive and hold a portion of a bulb in the bulb holder;   the bulb holder comprising a pair of arcuate outer wall portions extending from respective opposite sides of the bracket or strut; and   the bulb holder extending away from the bracket or strut in a second direction substantially opposite to the first direction.   
     
     
         26 . The clip of  claim 25  wherein the bulb holder comprises a generally circular wall surrounding the hole of the bulb holder and the bulb holder further comprises a plurality of tabs circumferentially spaced along the wall and extending radially from the generally circular wall into the hole. 
     
     
         27 . The clip of  claim 26  wherein the hole extends along an axis from a first side of the bulb holder to an opposite second side of the bulb holder, the tabs being flush with one of the sides of the bulb holder. 
     
     
         28 . The clip of  claim 25  wherein the elongated body comprises a generally flat base portion extending from the bracket or strut along the base axis and a tail portion extending from the generally flat base portion to the second end of the elongated body, the tail portion extending away from the cantilever as the tail portion extends towards the second end of the elongated body. 
     
     
         29 . The clip of  claim 25  wherein the bulb holder is attached to the bracket or strut between the first end of the cantilever and the second end of the elongated body. 
     
     
         30 . The clip of  claim 25  wherein the bulb holder is attached to the bracket or strut at an intermediate portion of the bracket or strut spaced from both the first and second ends of the bracket or strut.